Chapter 59
The meeting also included old educated youth represented by Han Yang and Tian Yumei.
Zhang Baosheng first made a speech on Zhao Weiguo's case, recognizing Zhou Jiani's efforts and condemning Zhao Weiguo's behavior.
It was emphasized that the brigade should work hard to develop side businesses. If the side businesses are well developed, the overall income of both the educated youth and the members will increase, which is in the interests of everyone.
Zhang Baosheng looked at Han Yang and smiled, "Remember last year someone among you asked me about how our brigade only earned 35 cents per full work point, while other places were getting 50, 60, 70, or 80 cents. And you said, 'Let's ignore the 70, 80 cents, and think we can't even get 50, 60, or 70, 80 cents per full work point?' Guys, now's your chance to raise yours to 50, 60, 70, or 80 cents. If anyone tries to sabotage us, will you let us do it?"
Han Yang immediately stated: "Of course not!"
I didn't think much of it before, but now I realize that Zhao Weiguo almost destroyed not only the development prospects of the Qianjin Brigade, but also their interests.
Tian Yumei also said seriously: "We will not allow anyone to disrupt our progress!"
Zhang Baosheng nodded with satisfaction. "I know that many educated youth and the commune are very dissatisfied with the treatment of Zhao Weiguo, thinking it was an exaggeration and a bit too harsh. You didn't realize the hardships of rural life before you went to the countryside, did you? Our ancestors have endured even worse hardships than we are experiencing now. It's not easy to get here. Even if you toiled in the fields for a year, you might not be able to fill your stomach. Now that we finally have a way out, whoever dares to dig a hole for us will fight to the end."
Han Yang understood why he and Tian Yumei were asked to come to the meeting. They were asked to represent the village and convey the spirit of the meeting to prevent others from talking behind their backs.
Of course, when other people realize that their interests were almost destroyed, they will be lucky if they don’t spit at Zhao Weiguo the next time they see him.
Zhang Baosheng was talking there, and Zhou Jiani was doing something. She forgot to bring her notebook and pen, so she gestured to borrow Liu Tong's, wrote a few words and blatantly handed it to Zhang Baosheng.
Zhang Baosheng took a look, nodded calmly, closed the notebook and moved on to the next topic.
The discussion focused on the development prospects of the processing workshop and the situations it may face in the future, and also included topics on technology transfer.
Zhang Laosi and his fellow craftsmen knew about this incident and realized that they had indeed been putting on airs. Now that they understood the possible consequences, they hurriedly made a solemn statement, saying that they would teach the craft well.
You can't just take the benefits and not do anything.
Several team leaders were shocked. They thought that in the knitting business, as long as there were orders, the team would have long-term income in the future. They didn't expect it to be so complicated.
Everyone had been complacent about the commune's concerns, but no one had expected that there was something so profound inside.
Then arrangements were made for the manpower in the plastic greenhouse. We needed the village's recognized good farmers to assist in the later work. We are now holding a meeting to decide on the personnel, and they will take up their posts directly after the greenhouse preparations are completed.
This project is tentatively led by Qiu Zeming, with Zhou Jiani and the whole team working together.
Finally, Zhou Jiani was appointed to a position: salesperson of the Qianjin Brigade.
This was passed almost unanimously, with no one disagreeing.
After all, the results are here.
Zhang Baosheng puffed on his pipe and said with a chuckle, "No one objects. I've already drafted a plan to scold anyone who objects, but you won't let me have a go."
Everyone was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Zhang Baosheng didn't keep the secret any longer. He tapped his pipe and said with a smile, "Comrade Xiao Zhou suggested to me the other day that we apply for a benefit for everyone. From now on, all villagers, whether they are members of the commune or educated youth, who perform well will have the opportunity to go on business trips to the provincial capital. I want to ask, if there is anyone without conscience who dares to oppose Comrade Xiao Zhou's appointment, would he have the nerve to go to the provincial capital to broaden his horizons? Would he have the nerve to enjoy this benefit?"
At this moment, not only did the team leaders sit up straight with light in their eyes, but even Han Yang and Tian Yumei became alert.
Tian Yumei asked, "Captain, can we go to the provincial capital too?"
Zhang Baosheng was very satisfied with everyone's reaction. Comrade Xiao Zhou was right. This was indeed a benefit, and a very good one at that.
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Of course, comrades with outstanding performance will have the opportunity to travel on business. Not to mention the provincial capital, once our sideline business develops on a larger scale in the future, going to the capital is also possible."
Qiu Zeming, standing nearby, looked over, a smile in his eyes. He didn't care about anyone else; sooner or later, he would bring Comrade Xiao Zhou to the capital.
In the past, Zhang Baosheng would have wondered in his heart if Comrade Xiao Zhou was bragging, but after the proposal to set up a factory, Zhang Baosheng no longer thought so.
Regardless of whether it was bragging or not, it immediately aroused everyone's enthusiasm.
Half a month ago, who would have thought that products from their small village could be sold in the department store in the provincial capital?
People really need to have fantasies. If you keep fantasizing, you never know when they will come true.
At the end of the meeting, Zhang Baosheng looked at Han Yang and Tian Yumei and said, "Go back and ask. Anyone who's interested in learning basket weaving can go to the workshop and sign up. We'll pick three skilled educated youth. We'll add six more people to our workshop, and we'll find the remaining three from the village."
This is also what Zhou Jiani handed to Zhang Baosheng just now.
Han Yang and Tian Yumei hurriedly said, "Thank you, Captain. We'll let you know when we get back."
Zhang Baosheng looked at Zhou Jiani after he finished speaking: "Comrade Xiao Zhou, do you have anything to add?"
Zhou Jiani nodded and said, "Let me just add a few words. We're not blindly increasing our staff. In addition to the current orders, we also need to increase production. Production determines the scope of market expansion. For example, when I went to the provincial capital to discuss cooperation this time, I only went to the Second Department Store right before returning because I was worried that production capacity wouldn't keep up. Of course, I didn't just lie around at home all day during those few days. I explored the surrounding area, recording the number of supply and marketing cooperatives, their size, the distance between them, and whether they sold knitted products with patterns like ours. It can be considered as market research."
"Once our production volume increases, I can free myself up to negotiate more orders and open the factory sooner."
After the meeting, when Zhou Jiani returned home, Sun Ping and Yu Wanxia were still awake, and the lights were on in the shed next door.
Zhou Jiani told them about the recruitment of workers in the processing workshop and that if they performed well, they would have the opportunity to go on a business trip to the provincial capital. Both of them became a little restless.
Sun Ping asked anxiously, "Jiani, do we have to work in the processing workshop and perform well to have the opportunity to go on a business trip?"
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "No, no matter what position you are in, as long as you perform well, you will get this reward."
Yu Wanxia whimpered and rolled around on the kang, "I wish my family lived in the provincial capital."
In this way, she would have the opportunity to go home normally, but she doesn’t have the opportunity, so if she wants to go home, she can only wait until the Chinese New Year to visit her relatives.
A few days ago, her cousin had said to her, "Just be thankful you didn't cause trouble that day. The educated youth were allowed to go home for the Spring Festival, and the production team had the right to decide whether to allow them to return. The first batch of educated youth only received half of their quota in the first year. Those who stayed were all those who had had problems with the production team. And Old Man Zhang would settle accounts later. When the work points for those who caused trouble were later calculated, they were even lower than those of the women in the village. They made trouble again, and Old Man Zhang didn't stop them. They made trouble if they wanted to, and they went on strike if they wanted to. When it came time to distribute the grain, he would see who was upset, and after a few rounds of punishment, everyone would face reality."
Moreover, some old educated youth will not tell you about experiences like these, just waiting to see you struggle.
If Zhao Weiguo doesn't leave, he will suffer the consequences, as will those who followed him.
This situation became apparent the next day.
Meng Jiandi, Peng Guangrong and others heard the news and ran to the processing workshop to sign up, but they couldn't even get their names registered, and they were not qualified to participate in the selection of outstanding educated youth, with a deadline of one year.
In other words, no matter how well they performed this year, they would not have the opportunity to go on a business trip to the provincial capital.
Several people stood at the door of the village committee as if they had been struck by lightning, their faces pale.
It would be a lie to say I have no regrets.
Both female comrades Meng Jiandi and Zhou Hongbing burst into tears.
Sun Ping was horrified by what she saw, and was once again glad that she had listened to Zhou Jiani in the end and went to work as usual the next day instead of following them to the town to play.
She signed up for the processing workshop, but failed the assessment and had difficulty learning, so she was rejected.
But she was on the blacklist for half a year and could not participate in the selection of outstanding educated youth.
Sun Ping also cried, but after thinking about it, she felt relieved that she was still better off than Meng Jiandi and the others. She was instigated to do stupid things and now she had to pay the price.
I found a corner to cry, wiped my tears, and went back to the fields to plant wheat.
Zhou Jiani didn't know this. She was at home grabbing red envelopes, browsing her phone, reading the book that Qiu Zeming sent her last night, and even drawing a few shoes. There were only two sizes, 37 and 38.
The small blue floral cloth that she asked for from Liu Tong last time, as well as the floral cloth she bought from the supply and marketing cooperative in the county, can all be used. She asked because she saw that Zhao Mei's sister-in-law had good craftsmanship. In addition to wearing it herself, she also asked Zhao Mei to help make it for her family or relatives.
Zhao Mei came back from outside after ten o'clock. Seeing Zhou Jiani in the house, she went to find her and said, "My brother agreed. He will send it to me when he has collected 50 kilograms."
"Okay, no rush."
Zhou Jiani asked her to look at the shoes and the fabrics.
Zhao Mei said, "These two pieces of cloth would both look great on shoes..."
It's just a pity, it would look better if it were made into clothes.
But she would not advise others on this. Comrade Xiao Zhou could use such beautiful cloth to make shoes, so he should be able to use even more beautiful cloth to make clothes.
Zhou Jiani also asked her if she had signed up for the workshop. Zhao Mei smiled helplessly and said, "Everyone says I'm good at needlework, so I'm not clumsy, but I just can't handle learning basket weaving. I applied last time, but was rejected."
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "It's okay. You're good at sewing. We'll develop in this area in the future. There will definitely be a place for you to be useful. You'll shine here in the future."
Zhao Mei raised her hand and touched the flower on her head: "This?"
Wang Liping and the others were so happy today and loved it so much that they took turns wearing it to see who suited which color best. They asked me to convey their gratitude to Xiao Zhou.
Zhou Jiani nodded: "Don't worry, wait a few days."
Seeing that Zhou Jiani was about to bring up the matter seriously, Zhao Mei hesitated for a moment before finally asking the question in her mind: "Jiani, this hair ornament is beautiful, but anyone who knows how to sew can basically tell how it was made."
Can anyone be willing to spend money to buy it?
This morning when she was riding her bike to town, she passed by the fields and saw several female comrades using this kind of hair decoration, but none of them were as good as Jiani's.
In a few days, I guess people from other teams will learn how to do it.
This isn't a basket. Some people, like her, can't even be taught how to make one. But this...
Zhou Jiani smiled and said, "Who said we have to use this as the main model in the village? Whoever wants to make it can make it, whoever wants to wear it can wear it. Just consider it a warm-up for us. Think about it. If people outside ask about it, won't some people casually mention: It came from the Qianjin Brigade!"
"Besides, what if we have patterns that they don't have? Don't worry, there will always be a market. It all depends on how we compete with everyone else and how we can outperform them."
Zhao Mei seemed to understand, but also seemed not to understand. However, she felt a sense of pride inexplicably rising in her heart as Jiani spoke.
She liked the confidence in this girl, and it made her look glowing.
Looking at Zhou Jiani, Zhao Mei couldn't help but smile, nodded, and said, "Okay, Jiani, I'm looking forward to shining under your command."
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